Animal trap



Patente-el dan.. Z,

JOHN W. SHARP, OF ESTICO, ARKANSAS.

ANIMAL TRAP.

Application inea July 1v, 1922. serial No. 575,483.

T all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN 'W'. Simeri, a citizen of the Unit-ed States, residing at Estico, in the county of Jackson and State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Animal Traps; and l do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invent-ion relates to an improved animal trap of the type embodying a flexible element having a noose for ensnaring and securely holding an animal.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a trap wherein means is provided for positioning` the noose in a vertical position, whereby to permit. it to more readily encircle the animals body than when lying fiat upon the ground as usual.

More speciically,it isanotherob)l ect of the invention to provide a trap of the above type wherein the flexible element is wrapped on a spring wound drum which is released Vfor action bynovel animal actuatedmeans.l

A further object 'of the invention is to provide an animal trap of'this class embodying pointed spurs against which the animal 'is drawn and securely held through the action of the ensnaring elementaml spring actuated means therefor.

Other objects and advantages of the inven'tion will be apparent during the course of the following description.

ln the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in whichvlike numerals are employedl to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a vertical section, with. parts in elevation, of a trap constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 2 2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a vertical transif'erse section on the line 3--3 of Figure l. y

Figure 4t is a side elevation of the box showing the construction ofthe locking means for the drum. Y

Figure 5 is a detailperspective view of the noose supporting bar.;

Figure `6 is a transverse section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Y Figure 7 is a perspective view of aslightlyl modified form of noose supportingy member.v Figure 8 is a perspectlve view of the con-v necting member which connects the trip wire with the releasing pawl for the ratchet.

Specifically described, the reference character l designates generally a box in which a drum or the like 2`is rotatably mounted. 0n' one end, the drum is provided with a ratchet 8 with which the laterally directed free end or finger of a manually controlled resilient locking device 3a co-acts. Intermediate its ends,jthe .drum is provided with a second ratchet 4 withwhich a locking pawlala co-acts, this pawl 'being pivotally mounted on the lower` end of a pivoted supporting strip 5. Attention isl here directed to the fact that the pawl just mentioned has movement in two directions, that is to and from theteeth of the ratchet and at right angles thereto. Hence, a very slight movement of the trip wire will serve to disengage it from the ratchet to permit rotation of the aforesaid drum. A. trip wire or the like is connected with this pawl la and servesl to disengage it from the ratchet as to be hereinafter set forth. It is to be noted that this lwire has a special bracket member 6a attached to its inner end and this `bracket member is so designed that it can be detachably connected to the pawl. Hence, when la catchl is made and the animal in trying to escape strikes the` wire, this. wire will become disconnected from the pawl and will prevent breakage of parts, as might other- `wise occur.

Proceeding Va flat` spring 7 acts onr the drum to` rotate it in a direction to exert a( push against the pawl la sc that when it is engaged with the ratchet 4l, it will be lheld in this position .until the release wire is actuated by the animaL As usual, ahandcrank 7a is employed for rotating the shaft on which the drum :is mounted to wind the spring on the latter.

. As` before indicated, a flexible element such as a rope 8 iswound upon the drum .between the two ratchet members 3 and 4t, and the free end of this rope extends through an opening .in the bracket `9 which is arranged on the front ofthe box yas shown. 1t may be conveniently stated here that this bracket. is equipped with diverging pointed spurs 10 against which the` animal is v deioo signed to .be drawn and securely -held until released by Qthe trapper.. rAsis usual, the

ropeis formedvon. its free outer end with a noose llyfor. ensnaring the'animal. As before indicated, it is. desirable. to maintainlthisnoose in averticalzpositioaso asr serves* infth to permit it to be more readily engaged with the animal. For the purpose of holding the noose in this position, I preferably employ a bar l2 which is adapted tovlrave its lower pointed end driven into the ground at a spaced point from the front' of the aforesaid box, thisr bar being equipped on its rear side with spaced resilient jaws 13 which are intended to releasably grip that portion of the'noose which is disposed alongside of the rea'rfac'e of the aforesaidbar l2. To' act in conjunction with thc-'se jaws 13, other springs jaws 14 are provided-,on the front side of the aforesaid box and these co'-act with the no'ose in the manner clearly disclosed in Figure l.. Referring again to the' bar l2, it will be. seenthat this is equipped with an angular part 15 around which the front or free end of the aforesaid trip wire 6 is wrapped'.v This rodv is' also equipped with a plurality of close vertically spa'ce'dl apertures 16y through which the trip wire may be selectively passed;

It is understoodthat suitable means is to be' provided 'for permitting rotation of the spring vwound drum' when the trap isset for operation as indicated in Figure 1a. To permit this end to be accomplished, ythe aforesaid spring member' 8 should be ldisen .fl'aged fromk its" ratchet 3 at this timea Of course any suitable means may be provided for ac` complishing this result, but l prefer to employ a slotted pl'atel? which ,is slidably mounted on one side ofthe aforesaid boX in a' position to permit it to' be forced between thel boX'and the' m'ember 3e. The free end of this plate 17 is" beveled slightly as indicated at 1 8 tope'r'rnitfit to be easily moved to operative position.

[n practice, the box will be anchored to the ground so as to' prevent it fromv being carri-edoff by the animal after it is trapped.

Any suitable ymeans may be employed forV holding the boxV to. the ground. 1n' the drawings, I have shown. staples 19 driven into the' rear sideof the`r box and ast'rip 20 is slid'able throughthese staples, the' lower end of the stripbeing' pointed and Vadapted to be embedded in' the ground'. For convenience of operation, this strip is equipped with handles 2,1. desirable', stakes' 22 can be driven into' the groundxand; eible elements 23r can be connected therew'itlrai'rd with the boato hold the latter in", place. The constructionv of the trap so farfndescribed y isn'diesigned` for` long catches that is', the no ose isf adapteabeeffcd ab'le the supporting p'stforl i's-Avintendedto be placed at conside. distaneefrom tHe-bicis.' For f sn' rr @au es libwever I'contemp'lfate" substitu f post 12", slightly -moditied"' i' tripping will be seen that the modified detail coin-l prises a plate 24 having an aperture 25 at its inner end adapted to engage with the hook 26 on thel front of the box. This plate 2li is equipped at its opposite end with spaced guide clips 27 through which the horizontally disposed part of a right anv guiar rope support 28 is slidably received. This rope support 28 is equipped, like the first named supporting vpost 12, with spring jaws 29 for releasably gripping the rope and with a trip-wire anchor 30. Any suitable co-acting means between the part 28 and 24!- may be employed for holding'them together and for limiting their relative slidingmovcment. It is obvious thatl when the modified form ofnoose support is used, the noose will be considerably smaller than that shown in Figure l'. i

Assuming that the lparts are in the `relative position disclosed in Figure l, it will be seen that in case the animal approaches the noose 1l of the entrapping rope and engages lthe tripfwire the pawl' la will becomedi'sengaged from the ratchet e and will permit rotation of the' drum 2 due to the action of the spring 7. `Tl`1e spring` is so arranged as to rotate the drum in the direction' to wind disengaged from the ratchet 3, and to accomplish this result, it is only necessary to force the slottedplate 17 beneath the member as shown in F igurel. The inherent resiliency ofthis member 3@ serves tofau'tomatically re turn to its normal operative position when the plate isretracted, y j j y By carefully considering the description in connect-ion with' vthe drawings, persons familiar with devices ,of this el'assA will doubtless be able` to obtain" a clear understanding' of' the invention. Therefore, a more lengthy and detailcil description is deemed unne'cessa-rA j Since probably the' best results may ,be obtained withthe' construction and arrangement herein shown and described; this is teilten as the preferred'embodiment ofthe invention Howeyer, l wish.' it'to beL anden stood that minor changes coming within' the resorted to if desired.

r einma- Y z animal trap comprising a flexible li'f f'DTCiI- ist@ said-neme arusha then ani- @line the@ scope" of the" Vinvention as claimed; may be g aj nos; mean Sal-idf mal and Jfor drawing the animal toward the box, and a post arranged in spaced relation from said box and having means engaging a portion of the noose to hold it in a vertical position.

2. An animal trap including a flexible trapping element having a noose for encircling the animals body, and spaced uprights having clips :tor engaging portions of the noose to maintain it in a vertical position so long as the trap is set.

3. An animal trap embodying a box, a spring-wound drum arranged therein and having a ratchet, a pivoted supporting strip arranged in the box, a pavvl pivoted on the lower end thereof, said pawl being pivoted on an axis transverse to that of said supporting strip and engaged With said ratchet, and an animal actuated release connected with said pawl.

il. An animal trap including a drum on which a trapping element is designed to be Wound, said drum being equipped With a ratchet, a releasing pawl engaged With said ratchet to hold the drum against rotation, and a trip wire having detachable connection at-one end with said paWl.

5. Ananimal trap embodying a pivoted' releasing paWl, a trip Wire tovbe actuated by the animal, and a bracket carried by the inner end of said Wire, said bracket being detachably connected With said pavvl.

6. An animal trap comprisinga box, a

drum rotatable in said box, ratchets fixedl to said drum, a spring for rotating said drum, a pivoted paWl 'for co-action with one of said ratchets, animal actuated trip means o for releasing said pavvl, a manually released pawvl cooperative with the other ratchet, a flexible element wound on said drum and having a noose for ensnaring the animal, spurs mounted on said box in a positionto permit thel animal to be drawn against them;

JOHN W. snaar.

mark VVitnessto mark:

JAS. G. DENToN.

said box, 

